A right ding dong! West Yorkshire church forced to silence 'nuisance' 100-year-old clock bells

St. Michael's in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, was stunned to receive an abatement notice, ordinarily doled out to tackle statutory nuisances, about its beloved clock bells.

The church was allegedly ordered to silence the chiming between 11pm and 7am in April due to complaints submitted by a disgruntled neighbour in the leafy village.

The clock, a staple for 100 years, does the full Westminster chimes with four quarter bells that chime on the quarter hour and a bell that strikes the hour.

It's not possible to stop the chiming only at night until a costly device is fitted, so in order to comply with the Calderdale Council order, the bells have temporarily fallen silent.

Devastated villagers have slammed the decision and set up an online petition to reinstate the bells, claiming they're the soundtrack of our community's daily life.

Calderdale Council said they'd received 'several' complaints about the regularity and volume of the bell chiming overnight, which was causing a substantial impact.

Roy Wrathall, who's been a church warden at St Michael's for nine years, said the church was there for everybody so they would comply with the notice. Roy said: "We don't have the facilities to silence overnight.

"There's very much two sides to it. There's I'm awake in the night, there goes the clock that reassures me and I can't get to sleep because I keep hearing that clock every 15 minutes. It's not an easy one to resolve.

"Wearing the church hat - we're there for everybody so we'll do what the law says we have to do and do our best to try and please as many people as we can.

"The only way we can comply between 11pm and 7am is to stop the chimes. The clock's still going but the chimes have stopped. In 2015 the village had a devastating flood and the church was wiped out as well.

"There was several feet of water in there - right by the river and houses around the same. There was no electricity, no street lights and there was no clock going in the church so there were no chimes, it was silent.

"One of the things that was a sign of recovery to a lot of people was when the clock started chiming again, things were getting back to what they viewed as the norm.

"There are people who still find the clock during the night reassuring, but equally there's someone down in the village who it doesn't work like that for."

Furious locals have set up a Change.org petition to reinstate the bells, which has racked up 1,296 signatures.

The petition reads: Growing up in the heart of Mytholmroyd, the sound of St. Michael's church bells ringing through the village has been a cherished part of my life.

These bells have chimed since 1848, long before any of us were here - a symbol of continuity and community for over a century.

My family's roots run deep in this village, and for us, as for numerous other residents, the chimes are more than bells - they are the soundtrack of our community's daily life.

We propose that Calderdale council reconsider their decision and engage with the community to find a solution that satisfies both the individual who raised the complaint and the majority of village residents. Solutions such as soundproofing options for the complainant's residence.

Preserving these bells means preserving our history and community. Their sound is a legacy we must protect for future generations. Support our campaign to keep the bells of St. Michael's ringing in Mytholmroyd.

One supporter wrote: Born and bred in Mytholmroyd, still my home in my heart. The bells of Saint Michael's need to be heard, not silenced. Another commented: Growing up in the 'Royd those bells were my clarion call to get home for dinner.

With the bells silenced I worry about the poor children who may starve for lack of eating dinner. I feel that 177 years of the bells ringing being silenced by one objector is ridiculous.

Councillor Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council's Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: The Council received several complaints from local residents about the noise of the church clock chime overnight, and the substantial impact it was having on their quality of life.

"We investigated the complaints in line with our legal duty, and this involved identifying whether the noise was causing a substantial or unreasonable impact on the quality of life of those who had complained.

"The noise from churches and other similar establishments is something that many councils across the country have had to investigate. We understand how much local people value heritage and the tradition of the church clock.

"However, the evidence from our investigation showed that the regularity and volume of the bell chiming, at the time of night when people are sleeping, was causing a substantial impact, so we had no option but to determine a statutory nuisance and serve an abatement notice requiring the chimes not to operate between 11pm and 7am.

"We have stayed in contact with the [local] council, Erringdon Benefice and the residents who reported the noise throughout our investigation.

"We have received no appeals against the abatement notice, and the decision to stop the chiming during the day as well as nighttime was taken by the local council and Erringdon Benefice."

St Michael's is fundraising to repair the church tower, you can donate here: https://givealittle.co/c/3JfSMbFKrSCABXDeCiamks?